martial

adjective

mar·​tial ˈmär-shəl How to pronounce martial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior
martial music
a martial tone of voiceTim Appelo
martial prowess
2
: relating to an army or to military life
martial discipline
stories of martial traditionEwen Macaskill
3
: experienced in or inclined to war : warlike
its martial people fought the British to a standstillMary Anne Weaver
martially adverb

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Martial and Roman Mythology

Mars was the Roman god of war and one of the patron gods of Rome itself. He was responsible for everything military, from warriors to weapons to marching music. Thus, martial arts are skills of combat and self-defense also practiced as sport. When martial law is declared, a country's armed forces take over the functions of the police. And a court-martial is a military court or trial.

Examples of martial in a Sentence

the marching band played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and several other martial airs one of the basic tenets of martial law
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Launched in 1987, Street Fighter is a series of fighting games revolving around intense one-on-one battles between a diverse cast of martial artists. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 May 2025 Mixed martial artists are known for showing the scars from war after a fight—win or lose. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 In a recent sit-down with Haute Living, the legendary actor and martial artist shared his thoughts on the current state of Hollywood stunts, which, unlike in Chan’s heyday, is dominated by CGI and wirework trickery. Jack Dunn, Variety, 11 May 2025 One is a concert pianist and conductor, the other is a martial artist. Andrea Wurzburger, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for martial

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin martialis of Mars, from Mart-, Mars

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of martial was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martial. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

martial

adjective
mar·​tial ˈmär-shəl How to pronounce martial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior
martial music
2
: of or relating to an army or to military life
martial discipline
martially adverb
Etymology

Middle English martial "relating to or suited for war," from Latin martialis "of Mars," from Mars "god of war"

Biographical Definition

Martial

biographical name

Mar·​tial ˈmär-shəl How to pronounce Martial (audio)
circa a.d. 40–circa 103 Marcus Valerius Martialis Roman epigrammatist

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